Bidna Capoeira, an NGO that works in partnership with diverse Capoeira groups and local communities in Middle Eastern, is launching an outreach Capoeira programme in West Bank and in East Jerusalem neighbourhood. The project aims to support community integration and mobilise communities in regards to protection problems in 5 refugee camps. A total of 480 children who have been experiencing armed-conflict, arrest, house eviction and physical abuse traumas will be assisted in this UNRWA sponsored project.

The NGO was born out of previous successful projects run both in Damascus and in Al Tanf Refugee Camp by CapoeirArab and Companhia Pernas pro Ar. Working chiefly with volunteers Bidna Capoeira is now recruiting experienced instructors for paid positions in its outreach programmes. Takek ‘Laranja’, one of the main drives behind all projects that eventually led to the foundation of Bidna Capoeira, made sure that the NGO’s approach would meet honest and open-minded community development and social inclusion principles (see Tarek’s interview to the 4CT). In this way Bidna Capoeira’s programmes are not only open to inter-group and inter-style cooperation as they actually bridge and bond diverse groups and styles in their programmes as a way to set an inclusive and cooperative example to the attended youngsters.

Tarek’s and Bidna’s dedication led them to a successful history applying Capoeira as a social tool, what brought them heavy institutional backup. The programme in Palestine, as I said, is sponsored by UNRWA (the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East) an organisation that “provides assistance, protection and advocacy for some 4.7 million registered Palestine refugees in Jordan, Lebanon, Syria and the occupied Palestinian territory, pending a solution to their plight”. CapoeirArab’s and Bidna Capoeira’s experience with Capoeira-related social programmes, however, also brought them the support of the Brazilian Embassy and the Yalla House in Syria.

If you would like to help and/or engage in programmes that really take into account the emancipatory and solidarity principles of Capoeira and its socio-cultural mission, please check out Bidna Capoeira’s website and contact them. And please don’t forget to promote Bidna Capoeira’s FaceBook page to your friends and contact as exposition is key in finding further support.